“IT’S HARD, BUT IT’S FAIR.”
CLIFTON “POP” HERRING
DRIVEN FROM WITHIN
MICHAEL JORDAN
MARK VANCIL
ATRIA BOOKS
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NY 10020
ATRIA BOOKS
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Text copyright © 2005 by Michael Jordan
Compilation copyright © 2005 by Rare Air, Ltd.
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.
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ISBN-13: 978-0-7432-8400-4
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ISBN-10: 0-7432-8400-3
First Atria Books hardcover edition October 2005
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Credits
40 ACRES & A MULE FILMWORKS
84-85
ROB ATKINS
146-147
BETTMAN/CORBIS
104-105, 180-181
BRIDGEMAN ART LIBRARY
204-205
NATHANIEL S. BUTLER/NBAE
92-93, 164-165, 169-176, 186-187
RICHARD CORMAN/SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
32-33
KEITH CRAWFORD
116-117, 156-157
JOHN M. DIBBS
90-91
BOB DONNAN
30-31
BRIAN DRAKE
128-129
MICHAEL EDWARDS
58-59
ELVIS PRESLEY ENTERPRISES, INC.
36-37
The images and likeness of Elvis Presley appears courtesy of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.
BALDOMERO FERNANDEZ
146-147
GETTY IMAGES
152-153
STEVE GRUBMAN
28-29
GAVIN HELLIER
146-147
MORGAN HENRY
200-201
WALTER IOOSS
Cover, 2-3, 10-11, 20-21, 40-41, 50-51, 56-57, 65-72, 94-95, 100-101, 108-109, 118-119, 122-123, 124-125, 132-133, 136-137, 140-141, 150-151, 154-155, 169-176, 192-193, Back Cover
SHAUN JARVIS
65-72, 169-176
JORDAN BRAND TV COMMERCIAL
22-23, 162-163
STEVE KAGAN
4-5, 158-159
SAM KITTNER/ZUMA PRESS
80-81
LIBERATORE
138-139
EDDIE MACK
65-72
MISTER CARTOON
14-15
MODE 2
78-79
J. ERIC MORALES
202-203
JEAN MOSS
58-59
BRYAN MULLENNIX
76-77
SEAN MURPHY
65-72, 169-176
BRIAN J. NELSON
48-49
NIKE, INC.
End papers, 38-39, 58-59, 112-113
GARY NOLTON
65-72
SILVIA OTTE
146-147
PIECEWORK PRODUCTION
146-147
TODD PIPER-HAUSWIRTH
26-27
BOB PETERSON
82-83
MIKE POWELL
114-115, 166-167
PUSHEAD
196-197
STEVE SATUSHEK
146-147
DAVID SAWYER
34-35, 44-45, 58-59, 62-63, 88-89, 102-103, 112-113, 120-121, 126-127, 142-143, 160-161, 178-179, 184-185, 188-189, 190-191, 198-199
MARK SMALLING
16-17
BILL SMITH PHOTOGRAPHY
156-157
MARK SMITH
46-47, 74-75
KIM STEELE
42-43
CATHERINE STEENKESTE/NBAE
169-176
STEPHEN STICKLER
60-61
TOM STODDART ARCHIVE
110-111
TERRADA
98-99
TINKER HATFIELD/NIKE, INC.
6-7, 24-25, 58-59, 130-131, 144-145
UNKNOWN
18-19, 54-55, 65-72
VSA PARTNERS
106-107
SAM YEH/GETTY IMAGES
148-149
For my wife, Juanita, and our children, Jeffrey, Marcus and Jasmine
—MJ
In August of 1984, at the insistence of my mother and father, I boarded a plane to Portland, Oregon.
THAT DAY I MET PHIL KNIGHT FOR THE FIRST TIME.
Neither of us could imagine what the next 20 years together would produce. Has it been a perfect partnership? No, but nothing of value comes without hard work, particularly when the objective is to create something no one could even envision. Howard “H” White has said Nike was the perfect place for two people as competitive as Phil and me because we could plug into one another in an atmosphere that reflected our aspirations. I think that’s probably true. We might have come from different places, but we have always shared a commitment to creating products that reflect the same fundamental values.
BRAND JORDAN EXISTS BECAUSE OF WHAT PHIL KNIGHT CREATED BEFORE I EVER CAME ALONG.
—MV
For Uncle Bill, my best friend
INTRODUCTION
EARNED
UNCOMPROMISED
ASPIRATIONAL
AUTHENTIC
BEYOND
AFTERWORD
Introduction
The call came from Tinker Hatfield, my friend and the design genius behind 14 of the 20 Air Jordan shoes. More than two years removed from the end of my playing career and 20 years into Brand Jordan, I was enjoying my life away from the spotlight. I liked being behind the scenes and out of the public eye. In fact, I was doing just about anything to stay below the radar when Tinker called. He said it was time to look back, time to reflect on the arc of my life on and off the court. Tinker was coming back on board to create the Jordan XX, which would be designed on the idea of looking back over the last 20 years. It became an opportunity not only to reconnect with Tinker and revisit our creative process, but to talk about the basis for everything that had transpired. No one could have predicted the outcome because I was never following someone’s lead or operating off an existing model. There were no models for what happened at Nike, and certainly nothing close to what we have created with Brand Jordan.
Everyone has theories, and it’s easy to analyze events after the fact, but no one could have predicted everything would all turn out the way it has.
BUT LOOKING BACK WASN’T ABOUT CELEBRATING THE RESULTS AS MUCH AS IT WAS ABOUT UNDERSTANDING THE PROCESS THAT PRODUCED THOSE RESULTS.
And the process for me has always been pure. It’s been about leading and staying true—authentic—to those fundamental values that flowed downstream from my parents and later Coach (Dean) Smith. Moving through the business world full time, I recognize that the structure of success is no different there than it was on the basketball court. Great companies have a lot in common with great teams. Players who practice hard when no one is paying attention generally play well when everyone is watching. Success at any level can be reverse engineered to reveal the same architecture.
THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS. I HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED IN LEADING WITH ACTION, NOT WORDS.
And I learned very early to follow my instincts. M
y standards have always been mine alone. I have never tried to be like somebody else, or live up to the expectations of others. I don’t believe in following.
I believe in leading. That is the essence of Brand Jordan. There was never anything contrived about the way I played the game, and there is nothing contrived about what we have created at Brand Jordan.
This book provides snapshots, vignettes and stories about my life, virtually all of which can be seen in my shoes.
WE ALL KNOW OUR STORY FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE.
I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE TO THOSE CLOSEST TO ME, THE PEOPLE INSIDE MY CIRCLE.
Everyone sees things from a different angle, and the people in this book saw everything from the inside out. Only people who are very close to me—other than my wife, Juanita, and our children—are included in this book. In some cases, a story is related and I provide my view of that same event. In other cases, I talk about what happened, or how I approached a phase of my life, and they respond from their vantage. Everybody knows the results. This book is about the process. The values that formed the foundation of my playing career are the same values that define Brand Jordan. I truly believe those values never go out of style.
MOM (DELORES JORDAN) Where it all started.
GEORGE KOEHLER He was the first person I saw when I walked off the plane on my first trip to Chicago. From that first day, I never felt lonely in Chicago, thanks to George. And that’s still true today.
DAVID FALK He taught me the business.
TINKER HATFIELD When it comes to anything to do with the design and creation of product, Tinker is my right-hand man.
CURTIS POLK My left-hand man, the person who watches the business.
ROD HIGGINS The teammate who showed me Chicago, a friend of 21 years.
DEAN SMITH My second father.
HOWARD “H” WHITE My first friend at Nike.
FRED WHITFIELD My friend of nearly 25 years.
EARNED
WILL THERE BE ANOTHER MICHAEL JORDAN? SURE.
There is no doubt a player will come along who will be able to build on what I have accomplished, just as I built on the example of great players before me. But it won’t be as easy for the next Michael Jordan.
TODAY, PLAYERS RECEIVE THE REWARDS BEFORE THEY PROVE THEIR WORTH. IF YOU LOOK AROUND, YOU’LL SEE THAT IT HAPPENS IN A LOT OF PLACES, NOT JUST SPORTS.
The big NBA contract comes with the big shoe contract. With those contracts come national commercials. With that kind of notoriety comes expectations, some of which are bound to be out of proportion to the player’s experience and ability.
There were no expectations for me. Sure, I was the third pick in the NBA draft, and I received a contract worth a lot of money at the time. But no one expected me to become the player I became. I came in under the radar to a certain degree. Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Julius Erving were the clear stars in 1984. In those days, no rookie was expected to come into the league and challenge the status of veteran stars. So I didn’t have to be concerned with looking over my shoulder, or trying to live up to the expectations created by a marketing campaign. No one created a persona that I had to live up to.
WHAT I DID ON THE FLOOR DROVE THE MARKETING, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND. THE JORDAN BRAND WAS DRIVEN BY WHAT I DID EVERY NIGHT PLAYING THE GAME.
We had to earn what came to us. I never knew any other way, so I never thought otherwise. There wasn’t a line of corporations looking to invest in young NBA players in 1984. Those kinds of deals happened because of what we were doing on the floor. It’s often the other way around today, which makes it a lot harder for young players to realize the depth of their potential. It’s hard to spend all summer working on one aspect of your game when you have already received the payoff. I never had that problem.
I WANTED TO PROVE WHAT I COULD DO.
When my play started providing me with rewards, then I wanted to prove I deserved them. I never felt the desire to rest on what I had accomplished. I never felt like I deserved to drive a Bentley when I got my first contract, or live in a mansion. Those things might be symbols of success to some people, but there are a lot of people who confuse symbols with actual success.
WHAT’S LEFT AFTER YOU GET ALL THE MONEY AND BUY THE BEST CAR? THERE’S NOWHERE TO GO FROM THERE.
When we won one championship, then I wanted to win two in a row. When we won two, then I wanted to win three in a row because Larry and Magic never won three straight.
NOTHING OF VALUE COMES WITHOUT BEING EARNED.
That’s why great leaders are those who lead by example first. You can’t demand respect because of a title or a position and expect people to follow. That might work for a little while, but in the long run people respond to what they see. They might even listen, but they usually will act based on the actions of the person talking. If the CEO skips out early on Fridays, then he or she has sent a message that tells everyone else they can do the same. I practiced hard every day because I wanted every one of my teammates to know what I expected out of myself. If I took a day off, then I knew they would, too.
Just like my high school coach, Clifton “Pop” Herring, used to say: “It’s hard, but it’s fair.”
I LIVE BY THOSE WORDS.
IT ALL STARTED WITH AIM APPETITE TO PROVE.
Whether it was competing with my siblings or trying to get attention from my parents, I wanted to show what I could do, what I was capable of accomplishing. I wanted results, and I was driven to find out the best way to get them. Of all the kids in my family, I probably was considered the one least likely to succeed.
I HAD NO PASSION FOR GETTING OUT AND EARNING A LIVING. HAVING FUN? NOW THAT WAS A DIFFERENT STORY.
I had a passion for getting out on the playground and being my own person. I wanted to be different, to stand out. Playing kickball and being the star because I was able to kick the ball on top of a building, hitting home runs, stealing bases, pitching, scoring 30 points, blocking a shot, dunking—all those things drove me.
HAVING MONEY TO BUY A PAIR OF SHOES? NEVER DROVE ME.
Working in the fields cropping tobacco, working at McDonald’s, earning money so I could get a car and buy gas—none of that excited me. I figured if I was as good as I could be playing sports, eventually it would pay dividends. I didn’t know how, but my focus was to be the best player in whatever sport I played. That was all I ever thought about.
MOM More than anything, we tried to stress to Michael to enjoy what he was doing. Have a passion for what you are doing and work hard. If you don’t enjoy what you are doing, then before long you are going to be tired and you won’t find stability. If you have a passion, then you are going to be challenged every day to give your best.
My mother was very sentimental and understanding of what I wanted to do. My parents wanted me to be equipped to go out in the world and earn a living. For my mother it was all about education. My father wanted me to be able to work with my hands, to be mechanical, able to work with tools. He thought that if you could work with your hands, then there would always be a job somewhere. I didn’t have any passion for that kind of work. And that drove him nuts.
HE DIDN’T THINK I’D AMOUNT TO ANYTHING BECAUSE I HAD NO HAND SKILLS, NO MECHANICAL SKILLS.
The way my father looked at it, there was no guarantee I’d be able to make a living. But I never thought about that.
ALL MY ENERGY WAS FOCUSED ON GETTING WHERE I HAD TO GO.
My brothers could do anything. Larry could take a radio apart and put it back together. Ronnie was a business-oriented guy. He went out on his own at 18. He had jobs all through high school. He drove a school bus, and he always had a lot of responsibility. Larry drove a school bus, too. Me? I wanted no part of driving a bus. I didn’t want to worry about kids yelling at me, or constantly have to pay attention to how fast I was going.
I WANTED THE FREEDOM TO DO WHAT I WANTED TO DO. AND I WANTED TO DO IT MY WAY.
Not blindly, but with my own twist. To this day, I don’t enjoy working. I enjoy
playing, and figuring out how to connect playing with business. To me, that’s my niche. People talk about my work ethic as a player, but they don’t understand. What appeared to be hard work to others was simply playing for me. We were playing a game. Why not play as hard as you can? There’s no pressure in taking that approach. Play to win. Why else would you play?
I don’t consider what I do at the Jordan brand working either, because I have a passion for the brand. I could sit around talking about shoe designs and fashion all day. You ask me to sit in an office and answer emails for eight hours—to me, that is work. When I got to the point of being able to apply my creativity to the game as a player, it expanded my understanding of who I was and what I wanted.
MOM It could have gone either way with different parents who weren’t there all the time. We were providing strong values to Michael. Would he fight with you? Yes. Even though sometimes he didn’t understand what we were saying, we wanted him to know that what we were teaching him was designed to make him strong once he left our door. It was about making him have chores. Yes, you do have to cut the yard. You are going to learn how to make your own bed and hang your clothes up when you get home from school—this is your home. These are the things we taught our children. They had to have guidelines, and they had to be active in the home.
But Michael wouldn’t have done anything if we didn’t remind him. He would have laid around and looked at the television all day.
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